Blog - Page 103 of 218

Cosmos are beneficial insectaries for bees and other pollinators.

Ask Gardenerd: When to Spray to Avoid Bees

Another great question to share with you this week from Melody Girard: "Are there certain times of the day that bees and other pollinators in our area routinely forage? If so, when would that be? I've read that if you need to use an organic spray to control pest, that you should avoid using it at times when bees are foraging." Knowing when to spray is tricky one, because there are some species that are out all day long, and…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 29, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:1 Comment

Edible landscapes of a different sort have taken over the Ranch

Revisiting the Huntington Ranch

Back in 2010 we attended the grand opening of the Huntington Ranch, a secret garden of sorts outside the normal sites to see at the Huntington Library and Gardens. In its infancy, the Huntington Ranch promised to bring back the original use (and nostalgia) of the early days of the Huntington, when fruit orchards and vegetable gardens were in center focus on the property. Now, 5 years later, the Ranch is all grown up. Unrecognizable from its early installation days.…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 28, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

Growing Ground Cherries

How to grow ground cherries

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 24, 2015
Post category:Blog
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Tiny tomatillo-like fruits are oddly sweet and savory at the same time.

Growing and Harvesting Ground Cherries

It's always great to discover you can grow something in your climate that you didn't think was possible before. This is true of ground cherries for me. Until this spring, they were a mystery to me, relegated to northern climates, or so I thought. Then a friend sent seeds from Canada and I couldn't resist the opportunity to see how they would do in a completely different latitude. Ground cherries, otherwise known as Physalis, are in the nightshade family and…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 23, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:49 Comments

Things to do with Plums

Recipes that use plums

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 17, 2015
Post category:Blog
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Ask Gardenerd: Make my Hydrangea Blue

I think we've all asked this question at least once in our gardening lives: "What do I have to do to make our light pink hydrangea to blossom blue. Everyone has different opinion on this subject, your help is very much appreciated. Thank you, Ana" Good question, Ana, and there are several answers, all arriving at basically the same solution: You need to lower the pH of your soil in order for hydrangeas to flower blue instead of pink. Now,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 15, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
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Taking time to smell the roses in Modern Mia's Garden

Where’s Gardenerd: Golden Isles, Georgia

We've received our first report from Where's Gardenerd on the road. He's in Golden Isles, Georgia, and has been spending time at the headquarters of Modern Mia Gardening. It seems Modern Mia and the Wonder Kids have been showing Gardenerd around their prolific garden. He's also been traveling to Georgia shores and elsewhere. Check out his latest adventures in four parts: First up: Where's Gardenerd toured the homestead, inspecting tomatoes, peppers and citrus trees. Looks like they grow well in…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 14, 2015
Post category:Blog Where’s Gardenerd?
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Picture perfect grapes on a vine

Ask Gardenerd: Mildew on Grapes

This week we explore powdery mildew on grapes: "Every year we have a good crop of grapes, but they are covered by mold. What should we do? We sprayed our grapes with milk & water (equal parts) to no avail. Any suggestion? Thank you. Ana & Joe Liper" You're not alone, Ana & Joe, molds such as powdery mildew are very common on grapes and other vining crops like melons and cucumbers. Once it takes hold it is very hard…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 1, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:3 Comments

Compost ingredients

Soil Food Web Intensive – Part 2

In our last episode, we shared the wonders of Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web Intensive course. Today, we'll continue with more tidbits and tricks that will help you build better compost (and compost tea) for a healthier garden. In my opinion, every gardener should have a compost bin. It's not only the best way to reduce what goes in the garbage, it's the best way to improve your soil for all eternity. What is compost? I've said it before,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:June 30, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:10 Comments

Diving into the forage mix

Ask Gardenerd: Growing Chicken Feed

Heads-up homesteaders, this Ask Gardenerd question is for you: "I want to start having my chickens eat things from the earth, than from the store. They are were born in April. I saw your video on YouTube about making that grass cover for them. Do you recommend compost piles and the turf for the chickens? Would you feed them other things as well? Or do you have resources that you think might get us in the right direction. Thank you!…

Post author:Christy
Post published:June 24, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
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